A Night Out
by ceexotter
Summary: Lily and James go to Hogsmeade for a nice night out, however things take a turn for the worst and Lily is suddenly unhappy. One Shot. Read and Review please!


I could feel eyes burning into the back of my neck. Someone was watching me. I shivered, trying to refrain from looking around to see who was staring.

"What's wrong?"

"I feel like someone's watching me."

James' hand crept up my back, rubbing small circles. "Why would someone be watching you? We're at the Three Broomsticks. There are lots of people around. We're not in danger."

"I know, but someone..." I trailed off, giving into the temptation to look behind me.

The culprit was staring at me, looking sheepish. I caught his eyes, causing him to look away. I sighed: half relieved, half unsure of what to do next. He looked exactly the same as the last time I had seen him. I flashed him a smile when he looked up again, before looking back to James.

"No danger," I concluded.

"Not at all," he said, rolling his eyes. I could tell he was fingering his wand in his sleeve.

"James, you don't need your wand."

He huffed, "You never know, Lily. That little Snivelly-"

"We're not in school anymore! Can you at least pretend you've grown up a little bit?"

I picked up my drink and sipped on it thoughtfully. James grabbed my free hand, rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb. "Sorry, I've upset you."

"It's okay. He's not a bad guy, James."

"You always say that, Lils, but I'm not so sure."

"I should talk to him."

"No, I won't allow that!" James said, banging his other hand down on the table.

"Why not, James?"

"Because that slimy git called you a you-know-what!"

"James, that was almost four years ago. I think I can handle talking to him for a few minutes."

"I won't let you! You can't talk to him."

"Yeah? Why can't I? He's one...He used to be one of my friends."

"But that's in the past, Lily. He ruined that friendship a long time ago."

I rolled my eyes, picking up my drink again. His hand moved to my back again. "Hey, its his loss, darling. Look what came out of it." He pointed to himself and then kissed my temple. I felt his fingers intertwine gracefully with mine.

I smiled at him, "I don't know how we ended up together, you prat." I pressed my lips lightly against his.

"All that matters is that you're mine," he said, grinning wildly.

"But James, I should really talk to him."

His face fell. "No, Lily. You're just going to get hurt."

"James Potter, you know that I love you to death, but sometimes I just need to do things for me!"

If he were a dog, he would have bared his teeth. "He's no one you need to be talking to. You don't owe him anything."

"But I just want to make sure that he's alright!"

"He looks just fine to me," he said, glancing over his shoulder again.

"James," I pleaded, "I really need to talk to him."

James all but sneered. "Lils, I really don't think it's a good idea."

"I know that's what you think, but I think he just needs some closure."

He glanced down at our intertwined fingers, then over at the person who was staring us down from the other side of the room. He sighed, looking back to me. "No."

"James, just give me five minutes. Count to 300, and if I'm not finished talking with him, you have my permission to drag me away."

"No."

"Please?"

"No!"

"Please?" My voice getting whinier by the second.

"Lily, no."

"Please, James. Five minutes, that's all I ask."

"Fine. I count to 300, and if I get to 301 and you aren't back to my side..." His voice trailed off, allowing my fingers to slip from his grasp.

I kissed his cheek, letting my lips linger near his face. I flashed a smile. "I love you," I whispered, before traipsing off.

I crossed the Three Broomsticks quickly, coming face to face with my childhood friend. "Hello, Severus," I said, taking a seat across from him, my back to James.

"Hi, Lily. Potter, there, wasn't happy about you coming over here, was he?"

"No, he's not. I have less than five minutes."

"Oh, I see," he mumbled, tearing his eyes away from my face. "I didn't think he'd let you at all. I half thought he would have made you leave when he saw me in here in the first place."

"Honestly, Sev, he didn't notice you until I pointed you out." I noticed he flinched when I called him by his old nickname, given to him when we were twelve. "I didn't even notice you until I felt your eyes burning holes in the back of my neck." I watched as Severus' eyes glanced over to where James was still seated. "He's grown up, you know, as I hope you have too. We're not in school anymore."

"I know," he said, glancing at my hands on the table. His jaw dropped slightly, noticing the rather large diamond on my left ring finger.

I removed my hands from the table, fiddling with the ring under the table.

"He's proposed then?"

"Yes. Three weeks after we left Hogwarts. The wedding is in two more months."

"Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with him, Lily?" Severus sneered.

"I am absolutely sure. I've been sure for a while now."

"We're still teenagers. Do you really know what you want?"

"I may not be twenty yet, Severus, but I'm in love with James Potter. We're getting married in two months. And there's nothing you can do to change that." I realized that my voice was harsh. Old feelings of anger flashed for my childhood friend.

"I'm sorry for what happened in school."

"Me too, Sev. But that's all in the past now. I've chosen my life. Quit moping around and choose your own life too."

His dark eyes met my bright green ones. A stark contrast between us was evident. He looked exactly like he had a year ago when we left school. His eyes turned cold suddenly; his left fist closed, clamping tight. His jaw was set, teeth pressing tightly together. From the look he was giving me, I could tell that he had chosen his path already. His eyes begged me not to make him say it point-blank.

"You didn't, did you?" I let worry flash across my face. "Severus Snape, please tell me that you are not part of their crowd now."

He let his eyes drop from mine, giving me an unspoken answer to my lingering question.

"Well, I hope you're happy with them then. I can no longer sit here comfortably."

I stood up from the table, flicking my hair over my shoulder. I knew that I still had at least a minute and a half left before James forced me away, but I was no longer willing, nor comfortable, to be in the same vicinity as my childhood friend. I took a step away from Severus, trying to escape, only to have him grab my wrist.

"Lily, I'm sorry. I really am sorry. I didn't mean to chase you away. I –"

"Save it, Snape," I snapped. "I don't want to hear it. Just remember I am no different from all of those people that your lot are killing. Don't you dare tell me otherwise. Remember why we're not friends anymore. I never expected you to follow through with what you got into in school, and now that you have, I guess I never actually knew you. Have a good life."

His hand released my wrist, and I hurried away from the table without looking back at him. I felt tears stinging at my eyes. I cursed my emotional response. There was no reason to be upset over Severus Snape. We hadn't been true friends for nearly four years.

James was looking at me, with a sad smile. I knew he was trying to hid his usual I-told-you-so look. Two tears escaped from either eye, rolling down my cheeks. James placed his hands on either side of my face, his thumbs wiping away the tears.

"Let's get out of here, please," I whispered, leaning my face into his palm.

Without questioning me, he placed a few coins on the table to cover our check. Then wrapping his arm around my shoulders, we left the Three Broomsticks. More tears escaped the corners of my eyes. I buried my face in James' chest as we walked to the end of the main street. Once he stopped walking, I knew that he expected us to apparate home, but seeing as I was close to sobbing, he tightened his grip on me and spun on the spot. We reappeared outside the walkway of our little townhouse.

James led us inside and settled me on the couch. He locked the doors and got everything ready for the night. I could hear him mumbling spells and clicking locks before coming to kneel in front of me.

"Lils, what did he say to you?"

I didn't look at him, but rather focused on gaining control of my falling tears. I breathed in deeply, still leaving James' question unanswered. I felt his fingertips on my chin, tilting my face upward.

"Lily, what did he say to you?" he asked, calmly but I could hear the definite anger behind his question.

"Nothing, James. I promise, he didn't say anything to make me upset."

He looked at me, confused. "Then what the _hell_ did he do, Lily? You're sitting here crying! Obviously he made you upset."

I knew that anger burned behind his confusion. He was my protector, trying to fix what Severus had broken in me. I looked down at my hands before looking at his face again. I chewed the inside of my cheek.

"He's one of _them,_ James. He all but admitted it verbally to me."

James ran a hand through his hair, settling to rub the back of his neck, looking away from my face.

"Holy _shit_, Lily. That little devil did it? He's been marked?"

I nodded slowly, wiping away the last of my tears, hoping to never cry over Severus Snape again.

"Shit," he repeated, dumbfounded. He got up, beginning to pace around our living room. "We have to tell the Order, Lils."

"James, please, not right now. He's harmless for the time being."

"For the time being!" he exclaimed. "Anyone working for that _bastard _is not harmless. Lily, we can't just not do anything about him! This is knowledge the Order needs to know! That slimy git is out there serving You-Know-Who, killing muggles and muggle-borns! We can't just sit here and let him get away with it!"

I placed a hand on James' cheek. "James, there's a meeting in five days. When we attend, we can share this information with Dumbledore."

He sighed in frustration, looking like he was going to rip his hair out. I could tell he was perfectly content with going to Dumbledore right this very second and telling him about Snape right this minute.

"Please, James?" I asked, my voice a whisper.

He stopped pacing and placed himself on the couch next to me, pulling me into his side. I curled myself up and snuggled myself into him, his arm winding around me protectively. I suddenly felt extremely tired.

"Why did he upset you so much?" he whispered into my hair.

"The thought of him out there, working for everything we stand against, breaking everything we're trying to fix..." I trailed off. The fear of him eventually physically hurting me, that's what upset me. He had no problem hurting James, and in two months, I would be a part of James.

"You can't change the path that he's chosen to walk."

"I know," I mumbled, putting my head on his chest. "I just never thought he'd actually take the mark."

"Part of me didn't either, to be honest."

I sighed as James tightened his hold on me, thoughts of my childhood friend still racing through my mind. He kissed my forehead gently, letting our silence fill the room. He played with my hair gently as we sat curled up on the couch.

"James?"

"Yes, Lily Blossom?"

"I love you."

He chuckled lightly. "I love you, too, darling."

I turned my head up to look at him. "James?"

"Yes, Lily?"

"Let's just forget all about tonight. We went out to dinner and nothing happened."

He settled his head back on top of mine. "And if anyone asks, it was a lovely evening out?"

"Exactly."

He kissed the top of my head again. "Whatever you'd like."

"Thanks, James."

"Anything for you, love."

I smiled into his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat as I had so many times since we started dating. I sat up slowly, yawning slightly.

"Ready for bed?" he asked me, moving to wind his fingers with mine before I stood up.

I nodded, moving from the couch towards the stairs, pulling James with me. I had my foot on the first stair when James' grip pulled me back, causing me to spin into him. I caught myself, my free hand in the center of his chest.

His hazel eyes burned into mine. I noticed all the love and care that he held for me before his lips met mine softly. I sighed contentedly before wrapping both arms around his neck and twisting my fingers in his hair. He picked me up, giving me the ability to wrap my legs securely around his body. My slender figure was easily supported by his muscular frame.

His lips continued to move against mine, gentle as ever, but I could feel every ounce of passion behind them. I nibbled at his lower lip affectionately. A soft moan escaped his mouth. I smiled, allowing him to secure his lips just under my jawline.

That's when I was reminded about why I had said yes to James, giving myself completely to him. He truly loved me. There was not a part of James Potter that didn't love me to the ends of the earth.

He took a step, to make his way upstairs. I giggled, untangling my legs from around his middle and lowering myself to the floor. He looked at me, a goofy grin on his face.

"Remember last time you tried to walk upstairs with me wrapped around you?"

He chuckled, putting his forehead against mine. "You don't want another scar to match your first one?"

I shook my head, biting my bottom lip, smiling still.

"Let's try a different style then!" He secured one of his arms under the back of my knees and the other around my shoulders, bridal style. He marched upstairs easily with my weight, able to see each stair. Upon reaching the top landing, he let me down, only to have me jump up against him, securing my legs around him again.

My lips met his again, rougher this time, need behind my actions. He chuckled around my lips. I could feel his smile. He took a few steps into our room, laying me down on our bed. Our noses rubbed against each other gently.

I felt his lips leave mine and reappear against my neck. I couldn't help but moan slightly.

"James," I managed to whisper. "The door. The door is still open."

I couldn't see, but I knew he rolled his eyes. He nipped at my ear playfully before removing himself from his position on top of me. He crossed the room to close our door, leaving any memory of our evening outing locked in the hallway.


End file.
